This thesis reports a new family of cationic organometallic dendrimers as an antimicrobial platform and a magnetoceramic precursor. The synthesis of these dendrimers involved well-established chemistries, especially the facile nucleophilic aromatic substitution (SNAr) reaction of ƞ⁶-arene-ƞ⁵-cyclopentadienyliron(ll) ([ƞ⁶-chloroarene-ƞ⁵-CpFe]+) complex with a phenolic nucleophile. The use of [ƞ⁶-chloroarene-ƞ⁵-CpFe]+ resulted in iron-containing dendrimers that undergo SNAr reaction with Show moreThis thesis reports a new family of cationic organometallic dendrimers as an antimicrobial platform and a magnetoceramic precursor. The synthesis of these dendrimers involved well-established chemistries, especially the facile nucleophilic aromatic substitution (SNAr) reaction of ƞ⁶-arene-ƞ⁵-cyclopentadienyliron(ll) ([ƞ⁶-chloroarene-ƞ⁵-CpFe]+) complex with a phenolic nucleophile. The use of [ƞ⁶-chloroarene-ƞ⁵-CpFe]+ resulted in iron-containing dendrimers that undergo SNAr reaction with nucleophilic functional molecules to give bifunctional dendrimers, and also have implications for antimicrobial activity and ferromagnetism. Indeed, the dendrimers yielded bifunctional, photoactive and redox-active, as well as dual-emissive dendrimers. Importantly, the dendrimers were active against drug-resistant bacteria, including methicillinresistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium. The activity depends on the nature of the counteranion because changing from BF4 - to PF6 - counteranion enhanced activity. Also, the dendrimers induced oxidative stress on MRSA and disrupted the microbial cell membrane. Functionalization of the dendrimers with known antimicrobial agents, quaternary ammonium groups or 2-mercaptobenzothiazole, yielded hybrid antimicrobial dendrimers with enhanced activity, especially at higher generation. On pyrolysis at 900 °C in an inert atmosphere, these dendrimers yielded ceramics with room temperature, soft ferromagnetism. The magnetism was tuned via dendritic effects or functionalization with cobalt. Indeed, saturation magnetization (Ms) and coercivity (Hc) decreased with increase in dendrimer generation. Incorporating Co increased Ms and Hc at the second-generation but decreased these properties at the zeroth- and first-generations. Overall, [ƞ⁶-chloroarene-ƞ⁵-CpFe]+ -derived dendrimers are a versatile platform for accessing functional, in particular antimicrobial and magnetic, materials. Show less